Adjustable control switch



March 23, 1965 L. R. wlNsLow 3,175,057

ADJUSTABLE CONTROL SWITCH Filed Aug. 30, 1961 IN V EN TOR. l. EW/S R. W/NSLOW United States Patent 3,175,057 ADJUSTABLE CONTROL SWITCH Lewis R. Winslow, Mentor, Ohio, assignor to Feedall Incorporated, a corporation of Ohio Filed Aug. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 134,933 4 Claims. (Cl. 200-6141) The present invention relates in general to switches and more particularly to switches which have a novel means of moving the same between open and closed positions.

An object of the present invention is to provide a switch with unique means of varying the force necessary to move the same between open and closed positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch which comprises a pivotal mounting member which carries switch contact means and movement of this member in one direction causes closing of the switch contact means and movement in the other direction causes opening of the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch with a unique means of mounting a pivotal mounting member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch with a mounting member for carrying contact means which is swingably mounted and which has lever means connected thereto with adjustable counterweight means carried by the lever means whereby the force on the lever means necessary to swingably move the mounting member may be varied.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch for controlling machine operation, etc. by means of parts flow through a feed chute or along a delivery track.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch which has a minimum of wearing or sliding parts and which is substantially unafiected by dirt and dust and which switch is rugged in design and susceptible of economical production.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of this invention may be had by referring to the following descrip tion and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the switch of the present invention as associated with parts being moved through a feed chute;

FIGURE 2 is a view taken generally along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a View taken generally along the line 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view taken generally along the line 44 of FIGURE 2.

The control switch of the present invention as seen in the accompanying figures is indicated generally by the reference numeral 10 and includes, in combination, a switch housing 12 which has an upper opening which is closed by means of a cover member 13 appropriately held in position by screws 14. The switch housing with the cover member afiixed thereto defines an enclosure which includes, in part, first and second sidewalls 16 and 17, respectively. Pivot members 24 and 2 1, respectively, are mounted on the sidewalls 16 and 17 in a manner best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 and these pivot members each comprise a cone point set screw held in place by a jam nut 23. A mounting member 26, sometimes referred to as a pivotal mounting member, is provided which has first and second end portions 27 and 28, respectively. Conical shaped wall means 36 and 31, respectively, are provided on opposed sides of the first end portion 27 of the mounting member 26. The cone points of the pivot members 20 and 21 reside respectively in the conical shaped wall means 30 and 31 and this serves to pivotally mount the mounting member 26 so that it is capable of ice swinging movement or pivotal movement about an axis which coincides with the axes of the pivot members 20 and 21. It will be readily apparent that the cone point set screws can be adjusted axially toward and away from each other to adjust the pivotal movement of the mounting member 26.

A switch holding clip 34 which includes opposed spring fingers is secured to the first end portion 27 of the mounting member by means of a screw 35. A mercury switch 37 is held, as shown, between the opposed spring fingers of the clip 34, and the horizontal position of the mercury switch may be varied somewhat for a given angular position of the mounting member by means of the screw 35. The mercury switch 37 is of conventional design and when moved to the positions shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the mercury contained within the switch breaks electrical contact means between first and second conductors 40 and 41 respectively. When moved back to a slightly beyond horizontal position from that shown in FIGURE 4, the mercury causes contact to be made between the conductors 40 and 41. A conductor support member 43 is provided and is best seen in FIGURE 2 and has first and second ends 44 and 45 which are respec tively secured between the upper edges of sidewalls 16 and 17 and the cover member 13. An intermediate portion 47 of the conductor support member is spaced from the cover 13 and serves to support the conductors 46 and 41 as shown in order to enable the conductors to exit the switch housing through a threaded opening 59.

The second end portion 23 of the mounting member 26 extends exteriorly of the switch housing through an open ing 52 in a wall opposite the cover 13. A wire-like lever member 55 is provided which has first and second end portions :76 and 57, respectively, and the first end portion 5-5 is located in an opening 59 in the second end portion 23 of the mounting member 26. A set screw 61 is provided for securely holding the wire-like lever member 55 in the opening 59 and also enables the same to be adjusted so that the length of the lever member from the pivotal mounting may be adjusted. The second end portion 57 of the wire-like lever member is adapted to be engaged by a moving or movable member to move the mercury switch between open and closed position as will be described further hereinafter. A counterweight member 64 is held on the wire-like lever member and a set screw 66 serves to adjustably connect these two parts together. In other Words, by loosening the set screw, the counterweight member can be moved up or down from the position shown in FIGURE 2 to vary the force necessary to pivotally move the mounting member 26 about the pivot members 29 and 21.

The operation of the control switch of the present invention will be described in conjunction with a feed chute 58 (FIGURE 1) down which moving parts which take the form in this instance of bolts 59 and these moving parts serve as the means for actuating the control switch. Engagement of the moving parts with the wirelike lever member 55 serves to, in this instance, open (or close as required) contacts or contact means in the mercury switch 37. The switch, by way of conductors 4i and 41, may be connected into a machine control circuit and can be used for speed regulation, start, stop, count, or many similar applications. In the present embodiment, with the feed chute 68 empty, the wire-like lever member 55 assumes a substantially vertical position which maintains the contacts of the mercury switch in a closed condition. When the bolts 69 travel down the feed chute and the chute fills up to a predetermined degree, the bolts will hold the wire-like lever member 55, for example in the position shown in FIGURE 1. When this happens, the mercury switch 37 moves to the position shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 and the contacts within the mercury switch are open. The force or pressure required to move the lever member 55 and, hence, the mounting member 26 which carries the mercury switch may be varied by adjusting the position of the counterweight member 64- and/ or varying the length of the lever member which extends from the opening 59. The design of the herein disclosed switch has been constructed in such manner as will enable it to operate on as little as /3 ounce pressure.

It will, therefore, be seen that a control switch has been provided with a unique means of varying the force or pressure necessary to move the same between open and closed positions. This is accomplished, at least in part, by the lever member with its associated counterweight member which is connected to the mounting member. The means of pivotally mounting the member 26 which, in turn, carries contact means which, in this embodiment are in the form of a mercury switch, all contribute to produce a switch which is rugged in design and susceptible of economic production as well as having a minimum of wearing or sliding parts and which is substantially unaffected by dirt and dust. The switch, from a review of the above description, also carries out the other objects of the invention.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A control switch including in combination, a switch housing, a cover member secured by screws to said switch housing to close an opening thereinto, pivot members on first and second opposed sidewalls of said switch housing, each said pivot member comprising cone point set screws held in place by a jam nut, a pivotal mounting member having first and second end portions, conical-shaped wall means on opposed sides of said first end portion of said pivotal mounting member, said cone point set screws residing in said conical-shaped wall means to pivotally mount said pivotal mounting member, a switch-holding clip secured to said first end portion of said pivotal mounting member, a mercury switch held by said switchholding clip and movable between open and closed positions, a conductor support member having first and second ends held between said cover member and said switch housing and an intermediate portion being spaced from said cover member, first and second conductors connected to said mercury switch and supported on said conductor support member and exiting said switch housing through a threaded opening, said second end portion of said pivotal mounting member extending exteriorly of said switch housing through an opening therein, a wirelike lever member having first and second end portions, an opening in said pivotal mounting member receiving said first end portion of said wire-like lever member, a set screw for adjustably securing said wire-like lever memher in said opening in said pivotal mounting member, said second end portion of said wire-like lever member extending at an angle with respect to said first end portion thereof for engagement with a moving member, a counterweight member adjustably held on said wire-like lever member whereby its position relative to said pivotal mounting member may be changed, said mercury switch sing in one of said open and closed positions in one position of said pivotal mounting member and upon engagement of said second end portion of said wire-like lever member with a moving member and pivotal movement of said pivotal mounting member to another position said mercury switch moves to the other of said open and closed positions.

2. A control switch including in combination, a switch housing, a cover member secured by screws to said switch housing to close an opening thereinto, pivot members on first and second opposed sidewalls of said switch housing, each said pivot member comprising cone point set screws held in place by a jam nut, a pivotal mounting member having first and second end portions, conical-shaped wall means on opposed sides of said first end portion of said pivotal mounting member, said cone point set screws residing in said conical-shaped wall means to pivotally mount said pivotal mounting member, a switch-holding clip secured to said first end portion of said pivotal mounting member, a mercury switch held by said switchholding clip and movable between open and closed positions, said second end portion of said pivotal mounting member extending exteriorly of said switch housing through an opening therein, a wire-like lever member having first and second end portions, an opening in said pivotal mouting member receiving said first end portion of said wire-like lever member, a set screw for adjustably securing said wire-like lever member in said opening in said pivotal mounting member, said second end portion of said wire-like lever member extending at an angle with respect to said first end portion thereof for engagement with a moving member, a counterweight member adjustably held on said wire-like lever member whereby its position relative to said pivotal mounting member may be changed, said mercury switch being in one of said open and closed positions in one position of said pivotal mounting member and upon engagement of said second end portion of said wire-like lever member with a moving member and pivotal movement of said pivotal mounting member to another position said mercury switch moving to the other of said open and closed positions.

3; A switch including in combination, a switch housing, pivot members on first and second opposed sidewalls of said switch housing, a mounting member having first and second end portions, wall means on opposed sides of said first end portion of said mounting member, said pivot members cooperating with said wall means to pivotally mount said mounting member, a mercury switch connected to said mounting member and movable between open and closed positions, a wire-like lever member having first and second end portions, means for adjustably securing said first end portion of said wire-like lever member to said mounting member with said second end portion extending exteriorly of said switch housing to normally dispose said wire-like lever member in a substantially vertical position, a counterweight member adjustably held on said wire-like lever member whereby its position relative to said mounting member may be changed, said mercury switch being in one of said open and closed postitions in one position of said mounting member and upon engagement of said second end portion of said wire-like lever member with a moving member and pivotal movement of said mounting member to another position said mercury switch moves to the other of said open and closed positions, the position of said counterweight member determining the force necessary to move said mounting member from said one position thereof to said another position thereof.

4. A switch including in combination, a switch housing, a mounting member having first and second end portions, means for pivotally mounting said mounting member in said housing, contact means mounted on and movable with said mounting member through all pivotal movements thereof, said contact means being movable between open and closed positions, a lever member having first and second end portions, said first end portion of said lever member being fixedly connected to said mounting member for movement therewith, said second end portion of said lever member being adapted for engagement with a moving member, said lever member being normally disposed in a substantially vertical position, counterweight means adjustably held on said lever whereby its References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Robison et a1. June 19, 1917 Thomas Dec. 18, 1934 Maught Oct. 17, 1939 Traub Nov. 30, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Mar. 4, 1953 

4. A SWITCH INCLUDING IN COMBINATION, A SWITCH HOUSING, A MOUNTING MEMBER HAVING FIRST AND SECOND END PORTIONS, MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID MOUNTING MEMBER IN SAID HOUSING, CONTACT MEANS MOUNTED ON AND MOVABLE WITH SAID MOUNTING MEMBER THROUGH ALL PIVOTAL MOVEMENTS THEREOF, SAID CONTACT MEANS BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS, A LEVER MEMBER HAVING FIRST AND SECOND END PORTIONS, SAID FIRST END PORTION OF SAID LEVER MEMBER BEING FIXEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID MOUNTING MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH, SAID SECOND END PORTION OF SAID LEVER MEMBER BEING ADAPTED FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH A MOVING MEMBER, SAID LEVER MEMBER BEING NORMALLY DISPOSED IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL MEMBER POSITION, COUNTERWEIGHT MEANS ADJUSTABLY HELD ON SAID LEVER WHEREBY ITS POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID PIVOTAL MOUNTING MEMBER MAY BE CHANGED, THE POSITION OF SAID COUNTERWEIGHT MEANS DETERMINING THE FORCE NECESSARY TO MOVE SAID CONTACT MEANS FROM ONE OF SAID OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS TO THE OTHER, SAID MEANS FOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTING SAID MOUNTING MEMBER IN COMBINATION WITH SAID LEVER MEMBER AND COUNTERWEIGHT MEANS AUTOMATICALLY RETURNING SAID CONTACT MEANS FROM SAID ONE OF SAID OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS TO THE OTHER AFTER ENGAGEMENT WITH A MOVING MEMBER. 